Chiefs 2018 positional preview: Cornerback

Next up in our Kansas City Chiefs positional preview is the group with perhaps the most question marks, the cornerbacks.

The Chiefs first big move of the offseason was acquiring corner Kendall Fuller via trade, then to the surprise of many they traded corner Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams. Fuller had a lot of success with the Washington Redskins, but it remains to be seen if he can continue that success in K.C.

Even if he can, the rest of the corners on the roster have had inconsistent careers and are largely unproven. The Chiefs are heavily banking on a couple of guys having breakout seasons. If nobody does, this unit will have some big struggles in 2018. Let’s try to predict how they’ll fare this season.

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No. 1 CB: Kendall Fuller

Fuller had an exceptional season with the Washington Redskins in 2017. Here’s a few eye-popping stats to prove it:

CB Kendall Fuller allowed a 55.0 passer rating when covering the slot in 2017. The LOWEST mark in the NFL this season!

The big question is how the Chiefs will utilize Fuller. Will he stay primarily in the slot where he’s been outstanding, or will he get significant time on the boundary? If they do bounce him outside, will he play as well as he does inside? It’s seems likely we’ll see him do a little of both.

#chiefs plan to use Kendall Fuller, who Andy Reid believes is the best inside CB in the league, outside and then move him inside during nickel situations.

Fuller will be asked to do a lot and he has big shoes to fill following Peters’ departure. He is a quick and physical corner with great footwork and mechanics. At just 23 years old, he’s only scratching the surface of becoming an elite NFL corner.

No. 2 CB: David Amerson

No. 2 corner is wide open. I could foresee three or four other players getting the nod here, but at this point it looks like Amerson has the inside track. The Chiefs signed the five year veteran to a one-year ‘prove it’ this offseason. In 2015 he was among the NFL leaders in passes defended with 25.

He’s had his share of struggles, including staying healthy. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach believes that Amerson’s best football is still ahead of him and his press-man coverage style will fit well with what the Chiefs do on defense. They’ll want to give him a good long look, so unless someone else really steps up in a big way, he should be a safe bet to start.

No. 3 CB: Steven Nelson

Nelson is entering his fourth season with K.C. After a solid 2016, he missed the first seven games of the 2017 season and his play was inconsistent when he returned. It’s possible he was never fully healthy and it effected his performance, but the Chiefs could really use him back to 2016 form.

Nelson can be one of the better slot corners in the league when he’s on and he’s also spent time on the boundary. The Chiefs may rotate him inside and outside with Fuller.